Here last week's Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' are still looking grand, however they've been moved from the dining table to the kitchen.
Such long lasting cut flowers.
The Lewisia from last week's vase outlasted it's companions, so it was pulled and put in a small black vase in the bathroom.
Since the bright pink reminded me of cactus flowers I stuck my (sadly) non-rooted Ocotillo cuttings in the vase too.
It's a fun pairing.
I've had a life-long crush on the foliage of Aesculus hippocastanum, aka horse-chestnuts.
So when I noticed my grafted Aesculus hippocastanum 'Laciniata' (cut-leaf horse-chestnut — shown below) had sent out a bit of foliage below the graft...
Well I had to cut it and put it in a vase.
What will I do if it roots!?
I love Solomon's seal, (Polygonatum), but over time have greatly reduced the space they're allowed in my garden.
Even so they're starting to crowd the Schefflera delavayi, which frankly is unacceptable.
Time to cut a couple of those stems and see how they perform in a vase. If they do okay I may be cutting more...
But wait, there's also a mystery. Way over on the other side of the garden, where that orange arrow is, I've discovered...
That little plant. Which looks to be another Polygonatum.
And there's another about 10 ft away! I don't recall ever seeing fruit/seeds form on my plants and I certainly haven't ever transplanted anything growing near them. How did these get here?
So getting back to the business at hand, the Solomon's seal in a vase...
Andrew said it looks like a creature taking flight.
Out in the garden I love seeing big bumbles wedged up in the flowers, of course that won't be happening indoors, but the scent is still lovely.
One more vase to share, although these sweet flowers didn't come from my garden.
No, they were an impulse purchase at Trader Joe's.
I adore Ranunculus and remembered Andrew selecting a pastel bunch a few months back.
What the heck, they went in my basket.
There is no such thing as too many vases full of flowers...
Weather Diary, May 7: Hi 66, Low 42/ Precip 0
All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
That is a particularly lovely Ajuga. I often add them to other flowers but they look terrific by themselves in that low container. Love the way the Lewisia relates to the artwork. I have removed my Solomon Seal as it is a self-seeding thug in my garden. They are everywhere. I've been trying to get rid of them for years!
ReplyDeleteSelf seeding thug huh? Maybe I've just forgotten that mine has produced seeds in the past.
DeleteWhat is the little round thing in the orange vase?
ReplyDeleteThe top segment of a potato Opuntia (I just made that name up because I can't remember its real name). It broke off so I stuck it in there hoping it would root.
DeleteI enjoyed revisiting your leftovers from last week and love the simplicity of the horse chestnut leaf too. Do you get sawfly on your polygonatum? Mine are invariably destroyed by them and last year I thought I had dug them all out but Surpise! Surprise! they are poking their noses up again!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...that's a negative on the sawfly. Thank goodness! I've got enough evil foliage eating creatures in the garden.
DeleteYou're right, there's no such thing as too many vases filled with flowers. Who knew that Ajuga would last so long in a vase? Looking forward to hearing how your polygonatum holds up.
ReplyDeleteIt's on day 5 and still going strong!
DeleteI love the luscious colors of those Ranunculus and wouldn't have passed them up either - I don't remember ever seeing tubers for flowers in that color for sale. Small vases are often the best way to show off flowers (and foliage!) that would get lost in larger compositions and your creative vignettes always turn things up another notch in any case.
ReplyDeleteThose Ranunculus just keep getting better and better too, as their color deepens and the petals start to fade.
DeletePolygonatum does spread by runners -- sometimes very energetically. If that location's far from where you had any, it could be that the moist winter has regenerated a couple of pieces of root remaining from long ago. Or sometimes voles or the like can move a piece they've been snacking on, and in the right conditions it will take root and send up shoots.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I dug half a bed of Polygonatum before replanting this area, I know those runners! But yes, there's no way they spread 30 ft - without popping up somewhere in between. Your regeneration idea is interesting, I wonder?! As for the voles and the like...thank god I have none of them.
DeleteSo many great little vases! I've never thought of using Ajuga as cut flowers -- genius!
ReplyDeleteGlad I could throw the concept out there!
DeleteI'm glad you featured ajuga flowers, they are too underrated, IMO. But the bees, of course, always appreciate them.
ReplyDeleteYour pastel ranunculus are gorgeous - I'd have fallen for them myself!
Yes indeed, the bees LOVE them.
DeleteTrader Joe's flowers for the win! I'm hoping mine gets these in soon... Especially since growing them in the desert probably counts as torture for them. Thanks for sharing your vases!
ReplyDeleteThere was an especially good selection of flowers at Trader Joe's last week, some weeks - not so much.
DeleteHa! Like others, I never considered Ajuga for cut flowers. Such a lovely clear deep blue that shows off very much inside. All your vases are lovely.
ReplyDeleteLove your mix of arrangements today! And haven't thought about putting Ajuga on a shallow dish before, might nick that idea...
ReplyDeleteNick away!
DeleteYou have a house full of lovely things. That cut Chestnut foliage is wonderful and I adore the ranunculus. I'm trying again to grow them. I didn't realise that solomon's seal had a scent. I'll be popping a stem in a vase tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Ajuga's wanton ways, I have tons of those blue spikes. Thanks for pointing out their persistence in a vase. I'll be stealing that idea next time Monday rolls around.
ReplyDelete